Seeing the boy before her looking like a street beggar, his face streaked with grime and flush, Ketsubetsu Tanxi felt an urge to burst into wild laughter. For a Level 5 to be in such a wretched state was a sight not easily witnessed. If not for maintaining a shred of feminine decorum, she might have already been rolling on the floor laughing.

"Don't be ridiculous. How could I be robbed? It was just some sudden incident..." Lin Luo rolled his eyes dramatically. "Never mind that. Just get me some clothes first."

"Am I a department store? Where am I supposed to get clothes for you to wear?"

"You're a Level 4 Spatial Power user. Coordinate movement, right? Just pinpoint the location of some boutique, wave your hand, and you can bring back a pile of them."

Ketsubetsu Tanxi couldn't help but frown. "Superpowers aren't meant for trivialities like this. What's the difference between that and being a thief?"

"It's just stealing a few pieces of clothing. I hardly think you're the type of woman to strictly abide by the law." Lin Luo, while inwardly scorning Ketsubetsu Tanxi's character, urged her forward quite righteously. "Come on, stop dawdling and get it done. At worst, we'll charge it to the 'Man in the Inverted Cross.' He’s a rich man anyway; he won't miss the tab."

"...You truly are shameless." Despite saying this, after a moment of hesitation, Ketsubetsu Tanxi utilized her ability to "conjure" a set of clothes for Lin Luo. The moment the clothes materialized, they instantly enveloped Lin Luo without any intermediary process, and he felt his original tattered rags vanish simultaneously.

"Ooh, that's quite convenient. With an ability like yours, if you were to work as a maid, you’d undoubtedly be the best maid in the entire world." Lin Luo clicked his tongue in amazement. "Speaking of which, you just changed my clothes for me. Does that count as taking advantage of me?"

"Do you want to be jammed down a storm drain?!" Ketsubetsu Tanxi spat out hatefully, a feeling akin to having swallowed a fly churning in her stomach.

"I don't believe you possess that capability," Lin Luo stated without restraint. Seeing the twin red tails of the girl opposite him twitching on the verge of explosion, he suddenly laughed. "Alright, let's get down to business. As the guide who sought me out, does that cross-dressing man have another request?"

"...It's something very important!"

Saying that, without waiting for Lin Luo's further inquiry, she grabbed his arm, and the two of them vanished from the spot.

...

"Speak. What is it this time? If you just want someone to chat with, forget it. I'm quite busy at home," Lin Luo said, collapsing onto the floor once more in the windowless, doorless building, gazing listlessly at the figure in the test tube opposite him.

Aleister clearly had no interest in beating around the bush and stated directly, "The Magic Side is making significant moves."

"Oh?" Lin Luo's eyebrow twitched. "What kind of moves?"

"Laura Stuart, the Archbishop of the Church of England; Kikiritsa, the Second Princess of the British Royal Family; the Commander of the Royal Knights; along with Terra of the Right Seat of the Roman Catholic Church, and Vasilisa, the Captain of the Judgement Leader of the Russian Orthodox Church’s Belyashko—these five individuals are currently en route to Academy City. They should arrive by tomorrow at the latest."

"Holy shit!" The words from the 'Man in the Inverted Cross' made Lin Luo unable to sit still; he immediately sprang up from the ground. "You're not kidding, are you? Why are those people coming to Academy City all at once? Are they planning to start the Third World War?"

Lin Luo couldn't be blamed for his shock, as the five individuals Aleister mentioned were all pivotal figures in the Magic Side. In terms of status, each was considered top-tier within their respective factions. In terms of strength, Laura, Terra, and Vasilisa were likely capable of brushing against the Realm of Rules. Even the Second Princess and the Knights Commander possessed power roughly equivalent to a Saint. Such a formidable combined force descending upon Academy City... Lin Luo dared not imagine the resulting consequences.

"It seems you do know about the Magic Side after all," Aleister said, a slight curve to his lips, as if he had anticipated this reaction.

"There’s no point discussing that now," Lin Luo admitted frankly, his voice growing heavy. "What is the reason?"

The simultaneous dispatch of several major figures from the three giants of the Magic Side to "visit" the Science Side was undoubtedly a monumental event capable of influencing the future trajectory of the world. If things went wrong, the Third World War could arrive prematurely. That the Magic Side would engage in contact that risked a collision akin to a nuclear explosion without some profoundly fundamental cause—Lin Luo would sooner believe in miracles.

"What do you think?" Aleister countered, his gaze sharp.

Lin Luo paused, reflecting briefly before uttering three words: "King Arthur?"

It could only be her! To mobilize the Magic Side on such a grand scale, Lin Luo could think of no one other than ABER who possessed such magnetic attraction. Power on par with an Angel, her true form being King Arthur, and she held Excalibur... These combined factors made it impossible for Britain to remain inactive. Moreover, as the saying goes, you can’t keep fire wrapped in paper; if the Church of England made a major move, the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church couldn't afford to stand idly by. In that light, the convergence of these factions in Academy City became somewhat understandable.

"Excalibur has disappeared from the British Royal Treasury," Aleister added.

"Huh?!" The barrage of shocking news had already left Lin Luo numb to astonishment. Hearing this, his mind was filled with question marks. "What do you mean?"

"Have you heard of God Descent?"

"God Descent?" Lin Luo shook his head.

"There are many ways to describe God Descent..." Aleister wasted no time and explained, "One way can be called Reincarnation Magic. Of course, it’s not true reincarnation, but rather using a certain medium to allow an ancient hero or legendary figure to descend into this world for a second life. However, casting this magic demands the caster's life as payment, and this so-called second life is very brief, lasting no more than a year at most. Because the requirements are so stringent, only those at or above the Saint level can perform God Descent, so this type of magic vanished hundreds of years ago."

"You mean, the British believe Arthur appeared through God Descent?" Lin Luo was dumbfounded.

"Most likely. After all, Excalibur vanished from the Royal Treasury, and someone claiming to be Arthur has appeared. It would be strange if they didn't harbor that suspicion."

Nonsense!

Utter, ridiculous nonsense! Lin Luo felt the absurdity of it all. ABER was from the Nasuverse; the sword she carried was also the one from the Nasuverse. What did it have to do with the Index world?!

"So, what do we do now? The Magic Side has stuck its claws into your territory. You’re not just going to stand by and watch, are you?" Lin Luo couldn't help but ask. The Magic Side's actions infuriated him—they were trying to snatch his King! Unthinkable! No, he needed to formalize the contract with Rin quickly. While his King was a powerful backer, she was also a white-hot potato. Just revealing her name caused this much trouble; if he delayed any longer, who knew what chaos would ensue.

"Can your decision represent King Arthur?" Aleister inquired.

"Of course it can," Lin Luo asserted resolutely. This was no problem at all; as long as he captured the King's stomach, everything else was trivial.

"That will suffice. I actually already have a concrete plan for a response," Aleister chuckled. "It would be even better if you could cooperate."

Watching the pseudogirl display a fox-like smile, Lin Luo instinctively felt a twinge of worry... What mischief was this cross-dresser plotting now?

...

Ahhh! We've finally reached chapter one hundred! So, I have to ask: is anyone looking forward to a thousand chapters??

P.S.: A preemptive disclaimer: Mami is very pure; stop trying to defame her. As for her dark history, please use your imagination to fill in the blanks... That's all for now. Also, asking for membership clicks, collections, and recommendations.

Finally, [REDACTED] is fast approaching.